BigbadB

Baseball players should quit trying to be bigger than the game itself. If Soriano wanted to stay at 2b, maybe he should have figured out a way to quit being such a hack out there in the field. A move to left field is not a big deal. Should we list all the great left fielders that played this game before Soriano? Is Soriano too good to play that position? I sure don't think so. If you feel a certain section of the field should be yours to claim, then maybe you should field that section of the field better than any other player, so no one else can claim it. Bottom line, he's making millions to play a game. He's living the American dream, and he isn't even American. If you don't want to play LF, then I'm sure there are some Dominican Republic teams that would be happy to stick you at 2nd base, but you aren't taking your 10m contract with you. For 10m a year, I'd play any position on the field today, and clean jock straps tomorrow. And I wouldn't complain about it. The selfishness is growing to new heights each and every year, in seemingly every sport. And I for one really can't stand it.

Maybe instead of using the out of shape, uninspired multi millionaires, they should send out the kids who are battling for major league jobs. Some of them played winter ball, which puts them in better game shape as well. One thing I noticed at the game yesterday, the Cuban catcher was beating the runner to 1st on infield grounders to back up plays. It's not all about fundamentals, but when every player on the team is playing the game the way it's supposed to be played, you certainly improve your chances. Wily Mo Pena, on the other hand, was barely rounding 1st when the left fielder dropped a fly ball. He should have been standing at 2nd. It seems like a lot of these guys just assume that once you reach the majors it's no longer important to hustle.

Rusch against Eric Milton won't be the tv game of the week, but I don't think the Cubs get blown out in this game.

I have no doubts he feels soreness, but I have doubts whether or not he can differentiate between normal soreness and serious soreness, and I have no faith in the Cubs' ability to help him differentiate. Again, he's left games feeling discomfort and soreness, and then been fine enough to take his next turn in the rotation. There is precedent for questioning his own sense of pain. How does one differentiate these pains? If you've never had a torn labrum, how do you know you aren't suffering from one? I had a pain in my kidney area the other day and wondered if I had a serious issue that needed to be addressed. I let it go for a few days and it turns out it was probably just a strain to muscle near my kidney. I havent' felt it since. But, since I've never had a kidney stone, I wouldn't know how much pain or what kind of pain to expect. It sure made me a lot more concerned with that muscle strain than others that weren't near vital organs. With a baseball player, I think you can expect that the concern is dramtatically increased considering that the arm or shoulder that is his livelihood in this game is what is experiencing pains he may have never felt before. I'm giving Prior the benefit of the doubt here.

And I was basically going to offer up the same thing, but got sidetracked. If there is this small of a market for him now, what will it be like for him if he continues to make a bunch of noise through this season? He's basically playing now to extend his career. I think he's the best option we have, but I don't think he's all that far ahead of Hairston. Between the 2 of them, I think 2nd base will not be a problem area (if Walker just talks through his bat).

It is interesting timing. Maybe they feel Boston is ready to slide, and the Yankees are getting older and older. Maybe they felt this was the year to start making a run. Maybe they felt that with the right combination of free agent signings along with the youth movement that they are currently having, along with a couple of their players hitting their prime years, maybe this was the year to go for it. Maybe there target year is actually 2007, and getting all the pieces in place in 2006 to make that run in 2007 is their strategy. It's interesting, because just a few short years ago, they were selling off every big dollar player they could.

I think that's only slightly contradictory. Even though he's being shut down from throwing for 7 to 10 days, there is no way to know now whether the inflammation will have cleared up by then, whether throwing will reaggravate or how far behind this puts him to actually pitch in a real game.

Isn't there a rumor floating around in Rivalries that says Ben Sheets arm will need to be reattached at the shoulder? Good trade!

Wow, Toronto is spending the big bucks this offseason. Clearly, the winners for best offseason in the AL, arguably for both leagues. AJ Burnett BJ Ryan Bengie Molina Lyle Overbay Troy Glaus Extend one of the best pitchers in the majors through 2010 (Halladay)

Alou, no problem. Sosa, not likely. Sosa was still the Cubs franchise player at that time. Alou could have been dealt to San Francisco pretty easily, IMO. Moving Sosa to left where he belonged would have been the start of his departure from Chicago, as he would have thrown a fit much worse than being moved down in the order.

Yeah, I don't understand the sentiments towards Prior. Without his pitching arm, he has no baseball career. Does he simply throw caution to the wind and pitch while injured? I'm sure guys have done that while worrying about winning a starting job, only to find that their careers are over because they didn't take preemptive measures.

I didn't say that. I said you don't set aside a roster spot for the mythical longman. Glendon Rusch went 2 and a third on opening day. Then he had 2 outings where he went one third, and then he went 3 innings. The Cubs can get similar pitching out of some of the 7 guys they will have. If you start with 4 starters, bring your best 7 relievers. Don't bring a Rusch impersonator because you think you might need him one day. Who in our bullpen is going to go 3 innings? Wuertz, Eyre, Howry, Williamson, Dempster, Ohman? That's 6 guys who are likely locked in. That leaves one spot for a guy who can pitch more than 2 innings (Welly, Hill), and you take that guy over Novoa who can't, IMO.

Baltimore worked it out with Tejada. Boston worked it out with Manny. Teams work out their disagreements, and if you can keep it out of the public, even better. Cubs management doesn't appear as though they have any desire to work out any disagreements, which makes me wonder why they picked up his option in the first place. I think they did it to piss him off. He said that he didn't want it picked up if all they were going to do is trade him. This whole Walker debacle is ridiculous. I agree that he needs to shut his trap. However, he's likely the best 2b option we have, and even if he's sitting on the bench, he's probably our best option off the bench. Work it out and move on. Trade him for Luis Matos, and this place is going to erupt.

We know what they do when they want guys out. Apparently, they still haven't learned from Patterson and Sosa. I really don't understand the concept of destroying a guys value to the point he is worthless in trade. Unlike Sosa and Patterson, the Cubs tried to trade Walker before mentioning anything negative about him (and they got no takers). I think the Cubs inability to trade Walker has been predicated on his own reputation as a subpar defender. As it stands, the only team (Baltimore) that's rumored to be interested in him would prefer to use him as a DH. Then it stands to reason, IMO, that you don't trade a guy who currently has little to no trade value. You sit him down and work it out. He's still way better coming off the bench with his bat than he is playing for some other team.

And if the Cubs do it that's supposed to be the right decision? I disagree with Cubs management on more things than most people, and I know you won't argue that point with me. Anymore disagreements and people might start questioning my loyalty. However, yes I think it is the right decision to have a swing man in the pen, ESPECIALLY when you only have 4 starting pitchers on the squad.

What do you think the long man/spot starter is? He's a reliever. In your pen, you need a guy who can give you more than just an inning or two. Glendon Rusch was the long man last year, and if I recall correctly, he came into a few games early and pitched several innings. I never brought up SS and I never brought up C. My argument is that you need a guy in the pen who can provide long relief when necessary. It's what I have been saying since I jumped into this argument. Go back and read all of my posts. Who will the long man be when we break camp? Hill, Guzman, Koronka, etc...? A guy like that needs to be 1 of the 7 bullpen arms. That's all I have been saying all along. Goony doesn't believe you need a guy who can provide more than an inning or two. I disagree.

We know what they do when they want guys out. Apparently, they still haven't learned from Patterson and Sosa. I really don't understand the concept of destroying a guys value to the point he is worthless in trade.

Did you ever hear me say we need a 3rd shortstop or a 3rd catcher? I never said we did. Bullpen guys are trained to be effective for an inning or two at the most. With only 4 starters, why make all of your bullpen arms guys who only have the capability to pitch an inning or two when a guy might be needed to pitch 4 or 5? I'll make a wager with you right now that the Cubs WILL NOT handicap the team going into this season with only 4 starters and nothing but short relievers. It's not going to happen. And why won't it happen? And if you think it will happen, what shall the wager be?

Sure, you can call someone up, but what good does that do you when you are out of bullpen arms and the game is going to extra innings? This is like the situation with Macias last year. He was lauded as the 3rd catcher, but it was a worthless title. Macias was ALWAYS used before Blanco, so his use as a 3rd catcher was absolutely pointless. The hypotheticals you bring up are pretty far-fetched to be making roster decisions off of. With the injuries this team suffers, I don't know how any Cub fan can call any hypothetical too far fetched.

When was the last time the Cubs DIDN'T have a long man in the bullpen for security? I don't know. Either way, you don't save a spot specifically for a longman. Especially not when you have 7 relievers. If things get off to a rough start, go ahead and make some moves. But you don't purposefully handicap your roster because of hypotheticals. It's not purposefully handicapping your roster because of hypotheticals. It's being prepared.

I'm just saying, if you are going North with only 4 starting pitchers, one of your bullpen guys needs to be able to go 4 or 5 innings. You can disagree with me all you want, but it won't change my opinion. If they had 5 starters healthy in April, you may not need that long man in the pen. But, with only 4, someone has to be able to step up out of the pen.

Sure, you can call someone up, but what good does that do you when you are out of bullpen arms and the game is going to extra innings?

When was the last time the Cubs DIDN'T have a long man in the bullpen for security?

Hypothetical: Zambrano goes 6 innings and throws 110 pitches. He's pinch hit for in the bottom of the 6th. Game becomes tied and ends up going 14 innings. That's 8 innings from the bullpen. Maddux gives up 10 runs in 1.1 innings. He obviously doesn't have anything decent and this game is already way out of hand. You can leave Maddux in, but why stretch him anymore than the 75 pitches he's already thrown? So, now you have to use the entire bullpen to finish up the last 7.2 innings of this game. Next game, Rusch fouls a pitch off his ankle in his first at bat and cannot continue in the game. The bullpen now has to work another 5 to 7 innings. Wouldn't it be nice if you weren't completely wearing out the bullpen in Maddux' meaningless blow out game? The bullpen might have been able to be sharp covering for Rusch. You have 4 starters, 7 bullpen guys and 1 long relief man for bullpen protection. Sure, my hypothetical is far fetched. But, it's not impossible. It's also not impossible to have back to back extra inning affairs. And it's not unreasonable to think that there might be a 1 1/2 hour rain delay after the 1st inning of an April game that would send your starter to the showers early, forcing you to use the bullpen for that entire game as well. There is room at the end of the bench for a spot starter/long relief guy, even if he isn't all that good. Rain happens, injuries happen and extra inning games happen. The extra arm is more important than the extra bat, IMO.

Seldom doesn't mean never. In 2004, the Cubs and Reds had nearly back to back games in early April with an 11-10 win and a 11-10 loss. It only takes one game where the wind blows out to knock a starter out in the first couple of innings. But, it's not just occasional winds blowing out. It's the chance someone tweaks something, extra innings, rain delays. Rain delays happen a lot in April.